Foreign Affairs Minister Monica Juma Jets to the US Ahead of Kenyatta Meeting with Trump at White House

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma has travelled to the United States ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s meeting with Donald Trump at White House on Monday.

Ms Juma flew to the US with a delegation on Wednesday and is expected to hold a series of talks with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo ahead of Kenyatta-Trump Monday meeting. Amina’s first meeting with Pompeo will be held on Thursday at 9pm Kenyan time.

Juma,who traveled to the US to prepare for Uhuru’s arrival, is also set to meet special assistant to the president and the US Senior director for Africa in the National Security Council, Cyril Sartor as well as assistant secretary of State for African affairs, Tibor Nagy.

“The meeting between President Kenyatta and President Trump will reaffirm the longstanding relationship between the United States and Kenya as a cornerstone of peace and stability in Africa and the broader Indo-Pacific region,” CS Juma said of the meeting early this month.

Kenyatta’s visit was confirmed in a statement issued by the White House earlier this month. The communication said Uhuru and Trump would discuss ways to broaden the “strategic partnership based on our shared democratic values and mutual interests.”

“The meeting between the two leaders will reaffirm the long-standing relationship between the US and Kenya as a cornerstone of peace and stability in Africa and the broader Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.

“President Trump and President Kenyatta will explore ways to bolster trade and investment between the two countries, while strengthening security cooperation.”

Ms Juma told Daily Nation that talks between President Kenyatta and Trump will focus on  cooperation in trade and counter-terrorism.

“We hope to begin discussions on post-Africa Growth Opportunities Act (Agoa) arrangements because we have seen a huge appetite in that direction,” Dr Juma said.